Sharif getS 7 yearS for graft
islamabad — A Pakistan court on Monday jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for seven years on graft charges that he says were politically motivated.
The anti-corruption court said in its ruling that the three-time prime minister was unable to prove the source of income that led to his ownership of a steel mill in Saudi Arabia.
Sharif was sentenced in July to 10 years in prison by the same court, on charges related to the purchase of upscale apartments in London, after the Supreme Court removed him from power. He was released in September pending an appeal.
Sharif ’s supporters said he would appeal. “Appeal is our right, we will protest but will remain peaceful,” former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who succeeded Sharif last year, told reporters outside the courthouse in Islamabad.
Sharif was ousted and disqualified from holding office by the Supreme Court in July 2017 and jailed earlier this year in absentia. He was arrested on July 13 upon returning from London.
The court ruled on two charges related to Sharif ’s assets: the ownership of Al Azizia Steel Mills in Saudi Arabia set up by Sharif’s father in 2001, and Flagship Investments, a company established by his son, Hasan Nawaz, and owns luxury properties in Britain. Sharif was found guilty on the first charge seeking details on how his family came to control the steel mill. He was acquitted on the second charge. —
islamabad — The Accountability Court-II (AC) on Monday accepted the request of defence counsel to send former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore, after being convicted in the Al Azizia Steel Mills reference.
Judge Arshad Malik sentenced Sharif to seven-year imprisonment in the Al Azizia Steel Mills reference and acquitted him in the Flagship investment reference. Soon after the announcement of verdicts, defence counsel Khawaja Harris filed an application with the court requesting to shift his client to Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore, instead of Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. The court accepted the request.
After the decision, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials took the former prime minister into their custody from the courtroom.
NAB to file appeal
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday decided to file an appeal against the acquittal of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Flagship Investment reference case.
The decision to that effect was taken during a meeting held here with NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal in the chair. The meeting was attended by NAB’s senior lawyers, directors-general concerned and other senior officials, a NAB Press statement said.
After a detailed discussion, the meeting decided to file an appeal against the accountability court’s decision.
The NAB chairman directed the lawyers’ team to file an appeal after full preparation and with solid proofs against Sharif in the case.
Accountability of the powerful
Leader of the House in Senate Shibli Faraz on Monday said the country could not move forward without accountability of the powerful and the mighty.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government fully supported accountability, however, it had nothing to do with the ongoing corruption cases, he said while responding to allegations levelled by Sherry Rehman in the Senate.
Shibli said the corruption references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif were not filed by the PTI government. Moreover, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader was disqualified during the government of his own party. —
They had to punish him and they have punished him in a false case. Appeal is our right, we will protest but will remain peaceful
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former prime minister
The country could not move forward without accountability of the powerful. The references against Sharif were not filed by the PTI govt
Shibli Faraz, Leader of the House in Senate
Sharif is reaping what he had sown. The case of Nawaz Sharif was fought improperly and irresponsibly by the counsel of the accused
Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, federal minister for railways
Punishment to the same man for the fourth time. [This was] blind revenge’s last hiccup but victory is Nawaz Sharif’s, thank God
Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Sharif
As per the NAB law, if a person is unable to justify the sources of his earnings then that amount is considered as corruption
Fawad Chaudhry, information minister